Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-11-18

i 4 -
A par Of yo,tthfui arms encrcled her
Hateful to Thankful as was the idea of
being commserated, she nevertheless
could not resist the gentle courtesy and
| gracious sympathy of Miss Schuyler, Be
sides, it must he confessed that for the
first time in her life she felt doubt Of the
| power of her own independence and a
strange fascination for this young gentle
! woman whose arms were around her. who
could SO thoroughly sympathize with her,
| and yet allow herself to be Snunbcd by
! Lady Washington,
"NOu have mother, | doubt notT'
said Thankful raising her questioning
eyes to Miss Schuyler.
Irrelevant as this question seemed to
the two gentlemen, Miss Schuyler an
swcred it with feminine intuition: "And
| you, dear Mistress Thankful'-
''IIave nome" said Thankful; and here.
! I regret to say, she whimpered slightly, at
! which Miss Schuyler, with tears in her
own fine eyes, bent her head suddenly To
! Thankful's ear, put her arm about the
| waist of the pretty stranger, and then, to
! the establishment of Col. Hamilton,
| quietly swept her out Of the august pres
| enCc.
When the door had closed upon them,
| Col. Hamilton turned half smilingly, half
| inquiringly, to his chief. WASHINGTON re-
turned his glance kindly but gravely, and
| then said quietly:
eff your suspicious jump with mine,
! colonel ! need not remind you that it is n
matter so delicate that it would be as well
if you locked it in your own breast for the
present: at least, that you should not in
innate to the gentleman whom you may
have suspected, aught that has passed this
evening""
"As you will, general" said the sub
altern respectfully; "but may I ask''-he
hesitatcd-'if you believe that anything
more than passing fancy for n pretty
girl"-
"Whcn | asked your silence, colonel. -
interrupted Washington kindly, laying his
hand upon the shoulder of the younger
man, lit was because | thought the mat
ter sufficiently momentous to claim my
own private and especial attention.
81 ask your eXcellency's pardon" said
the young man, reddening through his
fresh complexion like Il girl; II only
| meant''-
"That you would ask to be relieved to-
night" interrupted Washington. with a
benign SMILE ''forasmuch as you wished
the more to show entertainment to our
a Maynard girl, colonel, but, mcthinlls,
an honest one. Treat her of your own
quality, colonel, but discreetly, and not
too kindly, lest we have Mistress Schuy-
Ter another injured damsel, on our
hands, and with a half playful gesture
peculiar to the man, and yet not inconsis-
tent with his dignity, he half led, half
pushed his youthful secretary from the
room.
When the door had closed upon the. col
oncl, Lady Washington rustled toward
her husband who stood still, quiet and
passive. on the hearthstone.
''You surely see in this escapade nothing
of political intrigue-no treachery?N she
said hastily.
"No," said Washington quietly
"Nothing more than an idle, wHnton
intrigue with a foolish vain country girl}'
pardon me, my lady" said Washing
ton gravely. 81 doubt not we may mis-
Judge her. 'Ts no common rustic class
that can thus stir the country side. 'Twere
an insult to your sex to believe it, 1t is
not yet sure that she has not captured
even so high game as she has named. If
she has, it would add another interest to Il
treaty of comfy and alliance"
"That creaturep said Lady Washing
ton-''that light o. love with her Con-
necticut captain lover! Pardon me- but
this is preposterous;" and with a stilI
courtesy she swept from the room, leav-
ing the central figure of history-as such
central figures are apt to be left-alone,
Later in the evening Mistress Schuyler
so far subdued the tears and emotions of
Thankful that she was enabled to dry her
eyes and rearrange her brown hair in the
quaint little mirror in Mistress Schuyler
chamber, Mistress Schuyler herself lend
ing a touch and suggestion here and there,
after the secret freemasonry of her sex.
"You are well rid Of this forsworn cap
tain, dear Mistress Thankful; and me
thinks that with hair rs beautiful rs
yours, the new style of wearing it, though
a modish frivolity, is most becoming, !
assure you It's much affected in New
York and Phladelphia-dTawn straight
back from the forehead, after this man
ner, aS You see
The result was that an hour later Mis-
tress Schuyler and Mistress Blossom pre-
scented themselves to Col. Hamilton in the
reception room, with a certain freshness
and elaboration of toilet that not only
quite shamed the young officers ailaire
negligence, but caused him to open his
eyes in astonishment "Perhaps she
would rather be alone, that she might in
dulge her grief" he said, doubtingly, in
an aside to Miss schuyler, rather than
appear in company
"Nonsensc," quoth Mistress Schuyler.
Is a young woman to NOPE and sigh be-
, cause her lover proves falseY'
"But her father is a prisoner" said
Hamilton, in amazement.
"Can you look me in the face" said
Mistress Schuyler, mischievously, "and
| tell me that you don't know that in
: twenty-four hours her father will be
, cleared of these charges? Nonsense! Do
: you think | have no eyes in my head
! Do you think misread the generals face
| and your Owu?n
1 "But, my dear girl, said the officer, il
r alarm.
"Ohl | told her so, but not why" re